1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wear gauges and more particularly to a gauging device used to check for excessive wear on aircraft fueling adapters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The design of an aircraft fueling adapter is controlled worldwide on all jet fuel powered aircraft that are equipped for pressure fueling except for some U.S. Army helicopters. The problem of excessive wear on aircraft fueling adapters has caused many problems for many years.
These adapters are used not only on aircraft, but also on refueler trucks, so that the trucks can be filled from ground-based apparatus. The adapters are designed to be connected to the refueling nozzle. The nozzle can be opened to permit the flow of fuel only when the nozzle is in a fully latched position. By opening the nozzle, a valve in the adapter is caused to be opened by allowing fuel to flow into the aircraft. As long as the nozzle valve remains open, it is impossible to remove the nozzle by means of a mechanical interlock system. However, in the event there is excessive wear on certain portions of the adapter, the nozzle can actually be removed causing a spill.
It is an object of the present invention to produce a wear gauge to monitor the wear of fueling nozzle adapters and prevent unwanted spills and the like.
The above object, as well as others, may surprisingly be achieved by a wear gauge for checking excessive wear of the notches and lugs on fueling nozzle adapters comprising an elongate body having a first end wall, a spaced apart second end wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall; the top wall including an upstanding shoulder contoured to be received by the adapter and an outwardly extending finger; the bottom wall including spaced apart parallel rails for contact with the sealing surface of the adapter provided to contact the fuel nozzle nose seal and terminate short of the juncture of the bottom wall and the associated first and second end walls to form a shoulder for receiving the peripheral portion of the adapter sealing surface; the first end wall including a notch sized to normally prevent the entrance therein of any of the radially outwardly extending adapter lugs; and the second end wall including a downwardly extending leg spaced from the body and having an inwardly extending dowel pin and normally preventing passage of the outwardly extending adapter lugs.